Inequalities
We need fair societies with opportunity for all
We need to break the cycle of inequality.
Privilege passes from parents to children. Disadvantage does too. We need to redesign the systems that perpetuate inequality and remove the barriers to opportunity, mobility and social cohesion.
A quarter of the way into the 21st century, the world is still a deeply unequal place. Huge disparities in wealth, health, income and educational attainment exist both within and among nations. This is not only grossly unfair; these inequalities also underpin many of the world’s greatest challenges. The fact that stakes in society are – and are seen to be – so unequal undermines cooperation, erodes trust, and impedes efforts to promote democracy, fight climate change, improve public health and harness technologies for the common good.
Shaping new systems that create mobility and opportunity.
The systems that operate to keep people at the bottom are often designed at the top. And those who defend their own advantages and privileges often, in doing so, even perhaps unwittingly, also preserve systems that keep people down at the bottom of the distribution.
At LSE our aim is to better understand how those cycles of preservation of advantage at the elite and of disadvantage at the bottom of the distribution can be broken so the society can become both fairer and more prosperous.
To create a more cohesive, just and prosperous world, we need to shift public discourse on inequality and work with policymakers to find effective interventions.
It is enough to read the news these days to know that work on understanding and fighting inequalities is more important and urgent than ever.
Support LSE to shape a world of systemic inclusion.
By working with our local and global partners, training future leaders, and providing new insights into the causes of, links between and impacts of today’s inequalities, LSE is helping to shape a more just, resilient and peaceful world.
We are very grateful to The Atlantic Philanthropies for their transformative gift to LSE in 2016 which enabled the International Inequalities Institute to create the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity programme (AFSEE). This innovative fully-funded fellowship brings together policy-makers, activists, practitioners, artists, and movement-builders from around the world to explore and challenge the root causes of inequality. It is a transformative community that is working toward just and equitable alternatives to today's deeply unjust and unequal world.
Fellows are driving positive change in their communities and contributing to global debates and thinking on inequality. AFSEE’s global perspective on addressing the social and economic inequalities facing the world today are consistent and closely aligned with LSE’s Shaping the World Campaign strategy which is aimed at supporting LSE to develop and disseminate solutions for the betterment of society.
Your support helps us research and design systems that expand participation and inclusion instead of concentrating power.
If you would like to discuss how you could partner with us to shape our work on inequalities, contact us at shapingtheworld@lse.ac.uk.
How LSE research is shaping the world.
Below are some examples of ground-breaking research that LSE is doing to shape a world of systemic inclusion.
International Inequalities Institute - a decade of impact
The III advances the understanding of the economic, social, political and cultural dimensions of inequality through groundbreaking research, global collaboration and education for the next generation.
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Inequality is not inevitable
Powered by philanthropy the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity is a fellowship programme for activists, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners who believe inequality can be defeated.
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Building fairer, more inclusive work environments
The Inclusion Initiative at LSE brings together teaching, research and practice to understand the factors and offer the tools that improve inclusion at work.
Join inScholarships are the necessary force that unlocks changemakers, thought leaders, and visionaries. The people our world desperately needs. While we may not erase all inequality in one fell swoop, we can create opportunities for those who might otherwise never see their potential realised. This is why scholarships are not just important but essential.
Outstanding students need your support to shape a world of systemic inclusion
Invest in our Scholarship and Hardship Funds.
In this short film, Professor Larry Kramer, LSE President and Vice Chancellor, explains why inequality is one of the global challenges our Shaping the World Campaign focuses on.